Breaking the Block
by Writer's-BlockDP
Summary: My way of breaking out of my namesake. The latest: Oh I Wish - Maddie wakes up in the middle of the night and makes a startling discovery
1. Haunted House

**And here begins my drabble and random oneshot/plot bunny collection. I'm starting to come up with a lot of random ideas that make short fics, but didn't want to start posting them all as individual drabbles and oneshots. If anyone wants to adopt one of my plot bunnies, just let me know in a review or PM and we can work something out. I may use this as a way of bouncing my ideas for multichapter fics off a sounding board to see how much I should work to actually start posting them. Or if I am posting them I may write a couple of spinoffs or alternate endings. Whatever. I'm not entirely sure what exactly I'll be using this for, but it should be a pretty wild ride.**

**This first drabble was something that I came up with two days after Halloween and just got around to writing. I have a couple of other ideas that I haven't gotten around to also, so I should be posting in this collection rather regularly for a while. No promises on when I'll be putting up more; it depends on my schoolwork and when I have sports stuff.**

**So, you should all be used to this by now. I am not a guy. Butch Hartman is. Butch Hartman owns Danny Phantom. Therefore, I own nothing except the wonderful plots.**

* * *

The ten year old boy skipped merrily down the street, looking ahead at the line for the haunted house. It was long, but he had been waiting for this all year; he could wait a bit longer. His mother had deemed him too young for the attraction at last year's Halloween Carnival, and this year he would finally be able to see the ghosts. He'd always been fascinated with the supernatural, but his biggest fascination had always been the sentient spirits that refused to leave this plane of existence.

The child sprinted to the slowly moving line as fast as his legs could carry him. And then the wait began…

* * *

Finally, the youngster found himself nearly at the front of the line. The lady at the door asked quizzically, "Are you sure you want to go in? This place is supposed to scare you." He merely grinned and pushed eagerly past her.

Upon entering the house, the boy was immediately somewhat startled by a bed sheet popping out at him from behind an old dust-covered chair. It floated in place for a moment before returning to its hiding spot.

Somewhat disappointed that he wasn't actually being chased; the child nevertheless decided that he would never allow a ghost to scare him again. He was just about to leave the room and move on to the next when another bed sheet floated up from behind the grandfather clock, which immediately began chiming.

Deciding that he was more than a match for the "mean ol' ghosty," the boy made a flying leap, catching the sheet in his wide open arms. He proceeded to attempt to wrestle the "ghost" to the ground. Before he knew it, he was being dragged off of his prey by the lady from the front entrance.

"Son, you're not allowed to touch anything in the haunted house."

He immediately protested, "I was catching the ghost!"

She sighed with barely restrained frustration. "Sweetie, those ghosts aren't real. They're put there in the house to scare you."

The boy shook his head furiously, "Nuh-uh, they're real. All haunted houses have ghosts."

The woman reached over and gently took his arm, guiding him toward the door. "Ghosts don't exist," she insisted. "This house is an _attraction_, it's not really haunted. There's no such thing as ghosts."

The child's eyes narrowed in determination. "One day I'll show you all. I'm gonna catch a ghost and prove that they're real. No mean ol' ghosty is a match for Jack Fenton!"

* * *

**Okay, be honest now, how many of you saw that coming? Let me know in a review! This was rather fun to write; I love Jack as a character and think he could be the inspiration of several of my drabbles on here. And if you're planning on flaming me then I win, because you just wasted several minutes of your precious time reading something that you're just going to tell me you hate.**

**So if you like it feel free to drop me a note; constructive criticism is welcomed. I'll update whenever I have time to write up another idea.**


	2. Santa the Matchmaker

**This story was inspired by a real-life event. Anyone who knows about it will recognize where I put that in. If you don't actually know about it, then oh well, because it doesn't affect the story at all. I just have to warn you that I wrote this in a moment of _un_inspiration when I was thinking about it and had time but wasn't particularly in a writing mood. So don't be too harsh. ;)**

**Merry Christmas everyone!**

* * *

The mall Santa groaned mentally beneath his fake beard. He had taken this job because, being a jolly man himself, he'd wanted to spread the joy to children. Now he was wishing he hadn't. If one more kid burst into tears in his lap or threw up on his shoes…

Anyway, he was getting sick of the job already, and he'd only been at it for a couple of hours. He was amazed at the number of kids coming up to him that he was sure should've given up on believing in Santa a long time ago. He looked out at the ever-lengthening line and bit back another groan.

* * *

Several hours later he was just getting ready for the end of his shift. The next Santa was getting into his costume even as he finished up with a few more kids. He raised one gloved hand to rub his eyes, sure that this headache was not going to go away anytime soon. He was amazed at the selfishness of some of these children. Most of the ones who came up to ask him for presents listed off a dozen or more extremely expensive items. Seriously, what was that 6-year-old going to do with a cell phone anyway?

There was a sudden large amount of weight plopped down in his lap, causing his hand to fly away from his face. He looked at the kid who had sat on his leg, only to find that "kid" was probably not the best term for this boy. He looked to be about 15 years old, and a brief flash of recognition showed in the Santa's eyes.

"And what do you want for Christmas little –err… boy?"

The African American teen in his lap sighed dramatically. "I want a girlfriend. I keep asking people and I keep getting rejected. But there's this one girl that I really want to ask out, but I'm actually afraid to. I've never had a problem with asking out anyone else, but this one is special. She's gorgeous, smart, funny, and nice, but she doesn't even acknowledge my existence half of the time."

Santa puzzled over this for a few moments. "I know what you need to do," he proclaimed. "You need to either ask her out and get over your fear, or you need to get over this girl."

The boy sighed and got off his lap, walking away dejectedly. Santa thought for a few more moments, then got an idea.

* * *

Jack Fenton arrived home that night still mulling over everything that the boy had said to him earlier that day. "Hey Jazzerincess!" he called. His daughter came down the stairs from her room. "I need you to try to cheer up Tucker. Danny and Sam are with him all the time, but they're off doing something." He quickly explained the basics of the situation to Jazz, and she just as quickly agreed to try to help, eager to put her psychology to good use on someone other than her brother.

* * *

Jazz arrived home that night in a daze and went straight to her room. Jack walked in about half an hour later. "Hey honey, what happened?"

She still appeared to be in a state of shock. "Tucker asked me out. He said he'd been thinking about it for a long time and finally worked up the nerve."

"So?" Jack prodded. "What did you say?"

* * *

Danny was just closing his locker door the next morning when Tucker came skipping, yes skipping, down the hallway. "Oh no," he groaned. "Who gave him coffee?"

Tucker stopped right in front of him and gasped, "Did you hear what happened?"

Danny shrugged, giving him a tired look. "I was up until 2 AM catching Skulker, then the Box Ghost showed up after at 4."

His friend belted, "I asked out Jazz and she said yes!!!!" He accentuated this joyful proclamation with yet another leap into the air, pumping up one fist.

Danny's jaw dropped as he went into over-protective-younger-brother mode. "What?!?!?!"

* * *

**Well, what do you think? Did you figure it out completely during the first couple of paragraphs, or was it revealed gradually? Do I totally stink at revealing stuff gradually? What about the last line?**


	3. True Heartbreak

**This is DxS, though it doesn't actually name names, so you could imagine anyone in their spots. Enjoy!**

**Dedicated to my favorite Crazy one. Because I just have trouble saying it.**

I walked into my house just before curfew one Friday night in May, my thoughts still swirling in random circles around in my head. I had just had a very interesting conversation with my boyfriend while he was walking me home from the movie we'd seen after dinner. My brain was buzzing, ears ringing, as I attempted to formulate a response to the bombshell he'd just dropped.

My grandmother met me at the top of the stairs on the way to my room. She could see the confusion in my eyes. Even without her saying a word, I knew she was silently asking about the nature of the dilemma.

Giving her a slight nod, I walked into my room and sat on my bed, knowing beforehand that she would follow me. She remained true to my predictions, taking a place sitting across from the bed.

I sighed. "He told me he loves me."

Grandma just nodded in that knowing way she has. "And now you don't know how to respond."

I flopped over backwards, arms outstretched and hair splaying out behind my head. "Pretty much. I mean, what do I say to him about that?"

Grandma sat back in her seat. "Mind if I ask you a few questions?" At my silent nod she continued. "How long have you been dating him?"

I smiled, already knowing the right answer without even needing to think about it. "One year in two weeks and four days."

"And how long did you know him before that?" she continued.

I thought back and honestly couldn't remember ever _not_ knowing him. It seemed as though he'd always been right there by my side. When I told my grandma this, she finished with her final question.

"How would you feel if he left you for another girl?"

The first thought that popped into my head was wonderment at her use of such a cliché. Then when I thought about my answer, the first thing that came to mind was jealousy. But that wasn't the entire truth. I'd felt that even before we'd started dating, whenever he liked or dated another girl. But it wasn't a strong enough feeling to describe the way that I would really feel. "It would break my heart into a million pieces. But I also can't imagine him doing anything like that," I responded truthfully.

Grandma smiled. "Well, I think you have your answer right there."

At my confused look she moved a bit closer and leaned toward me, resting her hand on my knee. "True love is giving somebody the ability to break your heart… and trusting them not to. When you get that kind of bond, that kind of trust, that's when you know you've truly got something great."

She left my room then after a final pat on my knee, leaving me to stew in my thoughts a bit longer. But even as she left I could feel a faint smile growing on my face, and my brain was a million miles away.

**Wow… that was… deep. Based (loosely – VERY loosely) on actual personal experience (and seriously, in that aspect it was only the part about not knowing how to respond. Not the grandmother or the talk or the quote/advice).**

**So please drop me a review, though I won't be able to respond unless you give me an email address. My computer is still being wonky and I can't login.**


	4. Run

**Hey Readers, guess what? I'm back with another drabble-ish oneshot! This was nagging me for a couple of days and I finally got it all out on paper. What's really strange is that it totally didn't start out like this. I was just obsessed with the idea of using the first three sentences, and this is what came of that. Hope you enjoy!**

_Disclaimer: I think I have a blanket one of these somewhere, but can't remember and am too lazy to look right now. But if I owned anything then I totally would have no reason to be posting here, so my ownership status should be obvious to everyone._

_Spoilers: A bit for TUE, but not a lot. You don't have to have seen it for this to make sense, and it won't really ruin anything for you if you haven't seen it. I personally have yet to see most of season three, as it aired while I was out of town and I didn't have a chance to watch them later. (And yes, I know TUE is from season two, but I decided to add that in here anyway)._

* * *

I can't stop, can't let him catch me. My feet slap against the hard ground, sending jolts through my tired body with every step. I'm exhausted and know I can't keep this up for much longer, but am terrified of what will happen if I am unable to get away.

It all started with a single explosion. An accident, really. The main problem with this particular explosion was that, rather than the ones that have become a normal occurrence around my house, this one destroyed a whole building in a matter of seconds. The structure was consumed by a raging fireball, completely vaporizing everything–and everyone–within. Including everyone who I've ever been close to, all the people in whom I have confided my deepest secrets.

The sudden loss of everyone who ever cared about me was too much of a blow for me to handle. Still reeling from the initial shock of realizing that they really weren't coming back, I did something drastic, and I wish with every fiber of my being that I could take it back. I know it didn't really happen in this timeline, but the potential is still there, lurking beneath the surface, threatening to emerge.

I've been making every possible attempt to push back the evil that I know is within me, but it's getting harder with every passing day. Every time I tell another lie to my parents or teachers about where I've been, every time I think dark thoughts about bullies while confined to the cramped quarters of my locker, every time I'm in the middle of a heated fight and begin to enjoy beating my opponent into submission…

I've faced my inner evil, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying. Because this time, the evil is not manifested in a flesh-and-blood form that I can beat back physically… this time it's encroaching on my mind, pushing away my willpower and strength to resist. It's much harder to fight something when it's already in your brain, when you know it would be so much easier to just give in, when you begin to not care.

I do care. Every time I look at my friends or family I am reminded of why I'm still fighting. They're here to keep me grounded, to force my thoughts into clarity, to make me acknowledge how many reasons I have to keep up the struggle. What makes this really frightening is the fact that I know that, despite them, I'm still beginning to lose.

This is why I'm sprinting through the darkness, twisting through the winding pathways, taking corners as quickly as I dare. I'm petrified and know that he's been drawing steadily closer, that I really have no chance of getting away.

For who can truly escape from themselves?

* * *

_If that was a bit hard to understand, he's running through his mind, trying to escape the evil that's attempting to destroy him. Or something like that. Even I'm not completely sure ;)_

_I love reviews, so feel free to drop me one if you liked this. Something more substantial than, "This was good" or "I liked it" would be appreciated, but is by no mean__s necessary. It does help me if I know what you liked and didn't like about it, because that way I know what I can change in the future and will (hopefully) become a better writer through it._

_...I just realized that the author's notes nearly doubled the world length of this document. It went from 465 words to 848. :P_


	5. Fighting Chance

_So, yeah, I've determined that I spend an awful amount of time torturing Danny. But, then again, who doesn't? It -does- seem to produce the most thrilling stories... ;)_

_At any rate, I'll try to mix it up as far as genre and plot goes, but a lot of the stuff I've been writing lately has been focused on the same sorts of topics, so there's no telling what will happen. Just want to remind everyone that most of these are (and will remain) oneshots, and that even if they are very similar to another or seem like continuations, they probably aren't and were not originally meant for that, they just came out sounding like they could be part of the same story. They are all just little ideas that I've had but haven't felt like making into huge productions, or things that really couldn't be made into a larger story if I tried._

_On another note, I want to apologize for the disjointed and generally just plain bad quality of the writing of all of these various drabbles. They are all for the most part unedited and really just the way that they came out of my head, so consider this a blanket apology for the entire collection._

_At any rate, hope you enjoy!_

* * *

He ducks, barely in time, as the tips of his unruly hair are singed off by the remarkably cool green energy whizzing just above his head. Launching himself into the air with no intention of coming down, the boy's wish is fulfilled. He soars into the air, looping and twisting in an impossible path. Green blasts continue to streak through the air around him, yet he somehow manages to avoid them all. The blasts are coming from below on the ground and are getting gradually easier to dodge. The boy disappears into the clouds. The husband and wife who have been firing at him lower their weapons dejectedly. They have no idea that they have been shooting at their son. They have no way of knowing. After all, their son isn't dead.

The boy disappears completely, letting his invisibility abilities cloak him from view. He floats downward and back into the open, knowing that his parents believe their prey to be long gone. He silently hovers in midair as he watches them pack their things into their supped-up RV. Sometimes he hates that he can't tell them about what -and who- he is. But even if they do accept him, he isn't sure that he wants them to know. Sure, it will mean no more getting in trouble for breaking curfew constantly or for skipping class. But it also means, if not experiments and tests, that his parents will try to help him. He doesn't need them going around, messing things up… worrying about him. He knows that his mother worries enough now as it is, and can't imagine how much she would totally _freak _if she knew. He decided long ago that he would only tell them if he absolutely had to.

* * *

Maddie sighs in disappointment as their target disappears from sight. She begins packing up equipment and weapons, through long experience and instinct tells her that the ghost is not far away. Despite what many people believe about her and Jack, they really have made several breakthroughs. They are becoming so used to ghost attacks that their bodies are gradually becoming more in-tune with their environments: with the subtle changes in temperature caused by ghosts and ectoplasm, as well as with the slight shift in air currents that signifies their movement. Most of the ghosts are still unaware of the newfound abilities of the pair of hunters. They've been planning to surprise the ghosts, especially this one, and hopefully make a few captures in the process.

Jack Fenton is a lot more perceptive than his wife and many other people believe. He, too, knows that the ghost is still there. Maddie is loading various bits of technology into the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle when he catches her subtle nod. They both take a gun in each hand and whirl around in unison, sending off a sudden barrage of shots at the unsuspecting ghost.

* * *

Danny is so caught up in his thoughts that he has stopped paying attention to his parents, confident that his invisibility will serve as protection. Big mistake. Suddenly both hunters unleash a volley of blasts in his direction. More than half of the initial barrage lands direct hits, and he is sent plummeting to the ground with a scream. He groans in pain as his picks himself up out of the dirt, only to come face-to-face with another ectogun. He sighs, "This just isn't my day, is it?"

Jack keeps the gun trained on him while Maddie grips his arm and hoists him to his feet. He angrily rips his arm out of her grasp and receives a sudden warning in the form of a charging ectogun barely a foot from his face. Danny tenses and Jack's finger tightens on the trigger as Maddie reaches out for his arm again. The boy wracks his brain for a plan, furious with himself for being stupid enough to get into this situation… and he suddenly comes up with an idea. It is incredibly risky and has a high chance of not working and potentially getting him into even more trouble, but it's all he has. One advantage of living in a family of ghost hunters is that he knows how long an ectogun takes to prepare another blast and how long it is able to stay charged and ready to fire. Admittedly, it only took a bit under two seconds between blasts normally… and his parents have modified their guns to take just barely over one second. It will have to be enough.

As Maddie reaches for his arm Danny suddenly ducks, twisting around, leg extended, sweeping her feet out from under her. Before his mother can hit the ground he is catching her, keeping a grip on her lower arms and holding them behind her back, preventing her from moving and yet not harming her in any way. Even as he does this he is speaking in a soft, pleading voice, ashamed to find a hint of desperation in his tone. "I don't want to hurt you, but if this keeps up I might by accident. Please just let me go. Please."

Danny uses his mother as a human shield to guard himself from Jack, who keeps the ectogun ready even though he will never use it with his wife in the way. Maddie, however, is not a ninth-degree blackbelt for nothing. As soon as she feels a slight shift behind her she twists one arm out of the boy's grip, spinning around and dealing a stunning blow to the side of his head. His hand releases hers as he staggers backward. Now it's her turn to sweep his feet out from under him, though she makes no attempt to catch the ghost before he hits the ground. Danny's head slams into the concrete with a resounding crack and his vision fills with darkness. Just before he slips into unconsciousness he manages to mutter weakly, "I don't want to hurt you…"

* * *

Danny groans as his senses return. His head is aching and throbbing so much that it hurts to think. He tries to raise a hand to the sore part only to find that his arm isn't responding. Trying with the other one, he is able to feel the muscles twisting… but it still won't move. He contemplates this for a few moments. The most likely explanation would be that he's strapped down in some way, but how would that have happened? A strong scent of antiseptic assaults his senses, and the boy moans once more with the realization… he's in the lab.

* * *

_(Insert evil laughter here)_

_That's it. The end. No more. I'm leaving you to wonder about Danny's fate, because I'm just evil like that._

_If you liked it, if you're mad about the ending, or if you've decided to chase after me with a mob, torches, pitchforks, an assortment of rabid animals, or any other forms of death/torture, please let me know in a review! Even the torture ones are awesome!_


	6. Nerd

_Another random thing I thought up based on a saying that I find hilarious. You'll see what I mean. I don't own the saying or DP, just this particular small plot._

* * *

Tucker Foley's glasses skittered along the hall floor, coming to rest against the lockers on the opposite side from where he stood. Dash Baxter, the school's "star quarterback" and number-one bully of Tucker and his friend Danny Fenton, snatched Tucker's signature red beret from his head as the smaller boy picked up his glasses.

Almost as a reflex now, Tucker looked around for Danny, knowing that as long as his friend wasn't involved in a similar situation, he would be receiving some invisible assistance in just a short while. Unfortunately for both boys, Danny was within the loose circle of Dash's cronies as well. There was no way he'd be able to slip out unnoticed, and Tucker was all-too-aware that Danny couldn't afford any more unwanted attention right now. Everybody already thought of him as a freak, but lately they'd been noticing more and more of his random disappearing acts and other odd behavior, and it was too big of a risk to give them any more clues about his alter-ego.

Their other friend, Samantha Manson, was also nearby, merging back and forth between the inside and the outside of the circle as the numerous jocks moved around to get the best position. Ever the peacemaker, she never believed in getting involved in these potentially violent situations unless absolutely necessary.

No, Tucker was on his own for this one. He thought quickly and soon came up with a desperate and somewhat illogical idea. "Hey Dash," he called. The blonde looked down at him, the red beret still clutched firmly in his hand. Tucker continued, "Second person singular possessive pronoun modifying the informal shortening of the term for an individual's female parent."

Dash blinked, trying to process what the other boy was saying. In the process he accidently lowered his arm just enough for Tucker to grab back his hat. The quarterback was still trying to figure out that the geek had just said to him when Tucker walked calmly out of the circle, his two friends falling into step beside him as they walked away.

Danny, walking along on Tucker's left, looked confused, as though he too was attempting to decode his friend's words.

Sam, on the other side, thought for a moment, clearly replaying Tucker's words in her mind and deciphering as she went along. She looked up after just a few seconds. "Did you just say 'Your mom' in Nerd?"

* * *

_...Had to be done. It's been in my head for far too long. Let me know what you think!_


	7. Oh I Wish

_This is something that I originally wrote for a new fic I was starting, but I kinda lost interest so I decided to finish it out as a oneshot and post it on here. Depending on the feedback I might get re-inspired, so let me know what you think!_

_And yes, I know it's kinda disjointed and might not entirely make sense, but please just remember as you're reading that I didn't ever edit this._

* * *

Their whispering voices carried downstairs, though the words were too hushed to comprehend. They were at it again. Danny would come home, more often than not sporting fresh injuries. He would mutter some barely believable excuse and rush upstairs. Then the whispering would begin.

He and his sister had never been particularly close. Each generally considered the other to be rather annoying and they tried to avoid each other. Danny was always somewhat interested in his parents' occupation; he always had been. Jazz, on the other hand, tried her best to deny any association with them at all. She hadn't even believed in ghosts until just recently when they began attacking frequently.

Maddie found herself thinking back to a particular attack that had occurred just the previous week.

* * *

A large assortment of various appliances and other technology stood in the middle of the mall parking lot. With massive feet that made the whole area shake, it approached the building. Unfortunately, the mall had not been fully evacuated as of yet, and the people inside appeared to be in imminent danger.

An ectoblast from a nearby weapon glanced off the metal. It did not harm the ghost controlling the gadgetry, though it did manage to get his attention. He turned toward the human couple who bravely stood their ground before the monstrosity.

The glowing black and green technological being did not even flinch under the heavy barrage of ectoblasts as it made its way in their direction. It finally reached the couple and raised one enormous foot in the air over their heads.

Too late to move, the two hunters flinched and prepared themselves for a crushing blow that never came. They found themselves pushed roughly to one side, tumbling across the ground and leaving bits of skin behind. Maddie caught only a brief glimpse of green and white as the foot stamped down with an earthshaking blow on their mysterious rescuer.

Maddie paled beneath her jumpsuit hood. There was no way that anyone could survive that. The foot moved slightly, and the ghost controlling it looked surprised. But if he wasn't moving it, then what… The foot was steadily rising off the ground, revealing an all-too-familiar being. The figure was trembling under the strain of lifting the massive foot, but with a loud grunt he shoved suddenly upward with all his might.

The technological monster, to Maddie's surprise, was thrown off balance and toppled to his back in the parking lot. Phantom flew over the thing, calling down, "Hey Technus, I think you got blocked by a firewall!" A large ball of ice formed in one palm, quickly becoming encased in flaming green ectoplasm.

Phantom tossed it at the other ghost and it hit dead-on. The ball melted right through the protective armor surrounding Technus, and the ice took over immediately afterward, freezing the ghost securely in place within seconds.

Both human hunters paled and raised their weapons defensively. If Phantom had that much power, there was no telling how much damage he could do to the town – or, for that matter, them – for standing in his way.

The young ghost, however, merely reached for a strap that ran over one shoulder like a sash, pulling out a Fenton Thermos. Before he had a chance to use it he was suddenly hit by a massive blast from Jack Fenton's ectocannon. The man might not be the best shot in the world, but even Jack was able to hit a stationary target at short-range.

The thermos clanked and clattered across the ground until it came to a stop against a brick wall, mostly undamaged. The same could not be said for Phantom. He only stopped skidding along the ground after a large portion of his skin became lodged in the asphalt. Groaning, he attempted to sit up only to find his face a matter of inches away from a charging ectogun.

Maddie faltered. She couldn't quite identify the look in Phantom's eyes. It wasn't fear or desperation, as she'd expected. No, it was more like some odd mixture of emotional pain and some sort of inner moral conflict. It changed to confusion when she didn't fire right away. His eyes met hers for a moment, then he was gone.

The ghost reappeared next to the Fenton Thermos, regaining visibility as he stopped to pick it up. Technus was thawing quickly in the warm May sun, and would have to be captured before he got loose to cause more damage.

Maddie realized this. She also realized that Phantom would have no reason to stick around once the other ghost was captured. For some reason, he only made appearances where other ghosts already were, and he always wound up fighting them.

And Phantom really was quite a remarkable fighter. His style combined martial arts with classic street fighting, with a slight twist due to the fact that he had ghostly abilities. Maddie was a ninth-degree blackbelt, but even she would stand no chance in a physical hand-to-hand battle with this ghost. He never fought humans though. Maddie couldn't figure out why he had a problem with it, but was certainly grateful. Phantom was powerful enough that if he ever changed his mind concerning that moral qualm, he would be unstoppable. If that ever happened it was unlikely that he would stop with just a few people or just their solitary town. No, the whole world would be in danger.

Maddie didn't want Phantom to get away, but she also couldn't afford for the other ghost to attack. She didn't think she and her husband could handle two ghosts at once, especially when one of them was Phantom. For this reason Maddie allowed the boy to capture Technus, but the instant he capped the thermos, she fired.

The boy yelped and tried to dodge, but only succeeded in redirecting it into a glancing blow that clipped his shoulder, sending him tumbling to the left. Jack was there with another gun, taking the ghost by surprise with a large blast.

Phantom was barely able to dodge the next shot from Maddie. He rocketed into the air, looping and zigzagging around the blasts so quickly that the ghost hunter couldn't believe he didn't get dizzy.

Then he was gone.

* * *

Even when they had directly attacked Phantom, he hadn't fired a single shot back at them. Why not? She couldn't understand it.

Maddie was broken out of her thoughts by a sharp gasp from upstairs, followed by more hushed voices. What had gotten into Jazz? She wasn't usually one to hide things; she was too much of a psychology nut to be caught holding in her feelings.

Maddie walked upstairs and got into bed. She sighed, "Honestly, sometimes I wish I knew what went on between them." She rolled over and tried to dispel her worries long enough to fall asleep.

Nobody in the Fenton household noticed when the Ghost Gabber in the basement quipped, "So you have wished it, so shall it be. Fear me."

Maddie slept restlessly that night. She had the Fenton earplugs in her ears to block out Jack's snoring, yet sleep evaded her. Around midnight she finally dozed off into a fitful slumber. There were just so many questions without answers running through her head.

She must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing she felt was a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking. Danny was calling Jazz's name, softly at first but getting more and more harsh as the shaking increased in magnitude. She groaned and tried to roll over, but was stopped.

"Jazz, cut it out!" Danny's harsh whisper forced her eyes open. Maddie's bleary vision focused on her son, hovering over her bed.

"Ugh… what time is it?"

He tried to cover up a yawn. "Almost 3 o'clock. Desiree woke me up at 1:30 and when I was going back to bed I heard you moving around. Looked like you were having nightmares."

Maddie blinked slowly, finally starting to wake up. "Desiree?"

Danny hardly seemed surprised that she was focusing on the name. "Don't worry, I'm fine, but the area of the park right by the fountain is a little torn up." Then he changed the subject again. "I know you're the one who specializes in the psychobabble, but if you ever need to talk, you know I'm here. I might be able to help. Especially if it's about ghosts." With a soft wry laugh he squeezed her shoulder gently before turning to go back to his own room.

The now mostly awake Maddie, by now also very confused, sat up and looked around the room. It was pink, in sharp contrast to the pale green of the one she shared with Jack. The computer on the desk was surrounded by papers and open books, some rather large. The bookcase across the room showcased a similar collection. This was Jazz's room. How did she get here? And why was Danny calling her by his sister's name?

Maddie climbed out of bed, throwing back the pink comforter and making her way over to the mirror. Flipping on a small lamp, she stared at her reflection. That- that wasn't right. Jazz's eyes stared back at her. Suddenly wide awake, she grasped at her hair, feeling that it was much longer than usual. The Jazz in the mirror pulled a strand of hair in front of her face, gaping at it in disbelief. Maddie took two steps back toward the bed before her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the edge of it, head spinning.

How in the world had she gotten into her daughter's body?


End file.
